Apple will require customers to wear masks in all its stores across the country due to concerns of rising COVID-19 cases, the company announced Tuesday.
Before the policy change, Apple required customers to wear masks only in states that required them.
''We regularly monitor conditions and we will adjust our health measures in stores to support the well-being of customers and employees,'' an Apple spokesperson said, according to CNBC. ''Amid rising cases in many communities, we now require that all customers join our team members in wearing masks while visiting our stores.''
The reinstatement of the mask mandate raises questions on how holiday shopping will proceed in light of the new omicron variant, which, as reports indicate, appears to be more transmissible but less deadly.
Last week, a store in Texas closed after several employees tested positive for COVID-19.
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